Last Saturday's walk was from Cwm Pennant and across Moel yr Ogof and
Moel Lefn - a few photos are at
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/album/050716.html .
On the way there I got stuck behind a tractor with a large trailer.
When trying to let me pass, the driver hit a stone wall with one of
the rear tyres, which blew up. I hope he and the other chap on the
tractor didn't have too much trouble getting it fixed.
I parked just before the gated bridge at SH532477, one of the few
places in Cwm Pennant where you can park without blocking the road.
There is a right of way across the gate on the right (east) on the
other side of the bridge. On the other side of the field, the ascent
begins across open land past a few small enclosures and then onto an
abandoned track. There were ladder stiles where needed, though some
were provided as make-your-own-stile kits :-)
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/album/05071687bpDisrungedStile.jpg
The way up Cwm Llefrith is easy and good walking on short dry grass,
but it was very hot and there were loads of horse flies around.
At the top of Bwlch Meillionen, between Moel Hebog and Moel yr Ogof,
I turned left on a path which goes through a gap in the rocks which
looks very impressive from below but is easy to go up. The top of
Moel yr Ogof has two summits - I took a photograph of the "wrong" one:
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/album/05071690bMoelYrOgofSummit.jpg .
While I got up there, a rescue helicopter swept in onto Moel Hebog
but then proceeded very slowly and at a low level around the east
side of the hills. I hope they found and were able to help the person
they were looking for! The view over to Snowdon was quite nice:
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/album/05071691bSnowdon.jpg .
On to Moel Lefn, which has a rather flat top but a very steep drop in
any northerly direction. My limit of comfort with pathless steep
grass slopes is the south side of Arenig Fawr, and judging from the
map, going down northeasterly towards Beddgelert Forest would be the
same sort of thing. However, looking from above, I didn't like the slope.
Luckily, there is a path a bit further west which isn't on the map, and
it was easy going down that way to Bwlch Sais.
I took a wrong turn (left) there which ends in the middle of an old
quarry. It's better to carry on a bit further down to the bottom
of the bwlch and then turn back into Cwnm Pennant. It's possible
to go on through the quarry, though, as proved by the two ladies and
their dogs I met in what I took for a dead end and then again later on.
Moel Lefn looks much more impressive from below:
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ruw/album/05071699bMoelLefn.jpg .
I would have liked to go a bit further, but I had already run out of
water; so I decided to go back down into Cwm Pennant and to the car.
--
Rudi Winter, Aberystwyth, Wales